At Oldham’s Crompton House CE High, more than half the grades were B or better.

Headteacher Sarah Calvert said: “We are pleased for all the students who put in a tremendous amount of work, supported by their teachers and parents.”

And at fee-paying Bury Grammar School for Girls, candidates were also celebrating with more than three-quarters of students gaining B or higher.

Headmistress Bobby Georghiou said: “We are very proud to see our students gaining their excellent results and then proceeding on to some of the most challenging university courses in the country.”

Tutors at the Manchester College said their overall pass rate this year was 98pc, up two points.

Figures from the Joint Council for Qualifications also showed a dip in the number of students taking French, Spanish, and German, although there was an uptake in science subjects.

Students receiving their results will be the first to face £9,000-a-year tuition fees. The hike has resulted in a 9pc dip in applications to English univeristies.

While many youngsters are set for further study, business leaders have urged school and college leavers not to ‘sleepwalk’ into university.

Joanne Lynch, from the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, said students should consider alternative options such as apprenticeships.

She said: “We are still concerned that there is undue pressure on students to go directly to university as the default option.

“A degree can be hugely beneficial to a number of careers, but there are enormous benefits to moving directly into the workplace and developing a far wider range of skills than a purely academic course can offer.”